Call for sportsmen to control own affairs

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 24

Call for sportsmen to control own affairs

The reactivating of the New Zealand Federation of Sports should be hastened because of the recent announcement that Queen Elizabeth II Park will become a national sports training centre. Mr G. S. Brockett, of Christchurch, the president of the federation, has circularised sports bodies, politicians, major sporting sponsors, schools of physical education, education boards, and federation members with his proposals.

The philosophy of the federation, according to Mr Brockett, is “through the cooperation of the Government and other agencies, sportsmen should control sport.” Mr Brockett said that that intention could be accomplished by the trust board which is to be set up to administer the training centre at Queen Elizabeth II Park. The board will comprise three representatives of national sports — two of which will be athletics and swimming — and members from the Recrea-

tion and Sports Council and Christchurch City Council. The centre's establishment is also subject to the trust board’s showing that the operation would be financially viable. Mr Brockett said that “it is most important, in my opinion, that at this stage every sport makes a contribution.” “I remind you that 109 sports are internationally organised,” Mr Brockett said, “and if the federation’s objectives are to be given their degrees of importance the

facilities will soon be overtaxed and unable to cope. “It is most necessary that everyone takes an active constructive role so that this training centre can be properly set up as soon as possible.” The federation's objects are listed as: improved management and administration of sport; improved coaching standards; better sports education in schools; better coordination of community efforts; ’ improved national health; opportunities for

better use of increasing leisure time; greater recognition of the sporting needs of women, ethnic groups, the handicapped and the elderly. “In attaining these objectives in no way should the authority or responsibilites of sporting bodies in their own fields be diminished. Rather, the federation should provide for greater managerial expertise, communication and co-ordination, and more reliable financial arrangements. In other words, the federation would provide a forum for sport and act as

an umbrella,” Mr Brockett said. The federation should be organised so that it works in conjunction with central and local government, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, and large sponsors and funding organisations. Mr Brockett also envisages that the federation would be aligned to the International Assembly of National Sports Confederations — he attended the founding meeting in Melbourne earlier this

year — and assist in the development of the Asian, Pacific and Oceania zone. One of the main purposes of the international assembly is to overcome the participation of governments in sporting affairs. “We accept political assistance to sport,” Mr Brockett said, "but we want to make sure that the sports organisations are controlling their own affairs. We are against a growing tendency for governments to use sport as a political tool.”